The history of the Tampa Bay Strongman Classic spans further than its inception in 2012. It dates back to when Strongman was just a mere side show in sunny Florida During the late 2000's, a few shows were happening in Florida, including Tom Mitchell's famous "State Championships" and Dave Beers/Wayne Meyers SouthWest Florida's Strongest man. There was still something missing from the shows and that was... FANS.
Pro Strongman Scott Weech broke the mold with his Central Florida show in 2008, where he actually had a city block in downtown Lakeland roped off and the athletes competed in the middle of the downtown area. Being relatively new to strongman at that time, I wanted to bring something new to the sport and open up the stands to more than just friends and family of the athletes.
After I returned from Iraq in 2011, I wanted to put on a show and use part of the proceeds for a donation to a troop supporting charity. With the help a local clearwater law firm, the inaugural Tampa Bay Strongman was brought to life... and what a splash it made. This FIRST YEAR show attracted 45 athletes and almost 3,000 local fans to watch them compete. Included in the show was a live band, a car show, a bike show n shine, and a cornhole tournament. Not to mention the venue had a huge competition area and served great beer and wings.
Since then, the TBSMC has evolved into THE premeir ammatuer strongman show in the southeast. Athletes from as far as Michigan, Texas and New york all gather in Clearwater Florida each year to compete with friends and enjoy the cool air October offers. This year, the Tampa Bay Strongman Classic is a United States Strongman Federation sanctioned show. We're glad to have Willie and the USS aboard and look forward to hosting new athletes, as well as the faithful ones who have been with the show since the start. For more information or to enter the show, visit www.TampaBayStrongmanClassic.com.